The effect of galvanic current treatment on the skin is known. Studies have shown that the application of low-amperage galvanic current on the skin can loosen, open and clean the pores, stimulate the nerves, stimulate protein synthesis and rejuvenate cells. In particular, galvanic current has been said to soften and nourish the skin and increase cellular energy.
Galvanic current is often used today in cosmetology to drive skin treatments deeper into the skin and has been shown to firm and refine skin texture and boost the general health of the skin. The application of galvanic current to an individual's skin has primarily been accomplished with the use of electrical contacts, i.e., electrodes, because of their effectiveness in delivering an even flow of low-amperage galvanic current to the skin.
Several devices for beautifying the skin using galvanic current are known. One such device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,915 (hereinafter “the '915 patent”), is directed to a portable beautifying apparatus capable of beautifying the human face by selectively supplying far-infrared, galvanic ion current and vibration to the skin of the person's face. The '915 patent uses galvanic current specifically to stimulate the skin and accelerate the cellular energy.
Another handheld skin treatment device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,038 (hereinafter “the '038 patent”), is adapted to apply electrical current to a user's skin. The device includes a first hand-engaging electrode, a second skin treatment electrode, a rechargeable battery, and electrical circuitry including a microcontroller coupled to the electrodes for applying low levels of electricity to the electrodes for skin treatment.
While the benefits of low-amperage galvanic treatments are known, attempts to use galvanic current to stimulate hair growth have not been considered to applicants' knowledge. Prior art devices such as those described in the '915 and '038 patents claim to stimulate and promote blood circulation on a user's skin, however these devices fail to recognize the usefulness of galvanic current for stimulation of the scalp and promotion of healthier, stronger hair growth nor do they suggest a structure suitable for treatment of hair-covered skin such as the scalp.
The '915 and '038 patents do not discuss the applicability of galvanic current to a user's head for the purpose of rejuvenating cells, improving the condition of the hair follicle and papilla, and increasing energy production and the flow of beneficial nutrients to a user's hair. Nor do they teach application of these portable devices to a person's scalp.
On the other hand, low-power laser light has been applied to the scalp to enhance the physiological state of the scalp and encourage hair growth. One such laser device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,719 (hereinafter “the '719 patent”), is directed to a handheld comb which emits a row of lasers between parallel rows of teeth extending from the comb body. The lasers, when applied to a user's scalp, are said to increase scalp blood circulation resulting in the scalp, and the hair follicles, receiving a more abundant supply of nutrients from the body. The use of laser light, as disclosed in the '719 patent, is said to encourage hair growth. However that device has several significant drawbacks which the present invention overcomes. For example, there is a limit on the amount of laser power that can be applied to a person's scalp before the benefits of the laser treatment are outweighed by more harmful conditions, such as scalp redness, dryness and peeling. Accordingly, the strength of the lasers used in the '719 patent must be constrained to a reasonably safe value to prevent possible injury to the scalp and hair. It would be beneficial to be able to provide a user with a more effective hair treatment device without subjecting the person to increased radiation from a more powerful laser output.
Further, it would be an improvement in the art to provide such a device which includes user control over which treatment, galvanic current or laser light, is applied at a given moment, effectively allowing a user to switch between a galvanic and laser light treatment, or alternatively, apply a combination of the both of these treatments. It would also be an improvement in the art to provide a hair and scalp treatment device that is programmed to produce in sequence a series of different current waveforms and laser strengths for treatment. The present invention addresses these and other needs in the art.